Hogwarts: My Grandmother is the Queen

Before the dinner, there is a traditional weighing ceremony.

This activity is not a tradition passed down from ancient times, but a custom started by Edward VII in the early 20th century.

He believes this is a clever way to assess whether guests have had a good time without saying a word.

Previously, this custom was not very comfortable for Diana, since she had to maintain her weight. Eating too little would seem disrespectful, while eating too much would lead to weight gain. But now it's different. With the weight loss magic pill, she can enjoy food to her heart's content without any worries.

The Christmas Eve dinner was a formal feast, with a long table covered with a pristine white tablecloth and set with silver candlesticks and cutlery. A huge Christmas tree stood in a corner of the living room, adorned with all sorts of decorations.

A small crown, a small throne, and a corgi pattern that Elizabeth loved.

The dinner menu featured traditional roast turkey with chestnut filling, roast ham, roast potatoes, parsnip puree, Brussels sprouts with bacon and chestnuts, and brandy butter Christmas pudding.

Henry only tasted Brussels sprouts for the first time after traveling through time, and all he could say was that the taste... Zhang Qian and Zheng He were right not to bring it back with them.

Can you possibly be as smart as our ancestors?

William and Harry sat at the children's table, squeezed together with Princess Anne's daughter Zara.

The children were chattering and arguing about whose canary cookies were the best, even though Diana had long since put them away.

Henry sat in the middle of the main table, with his mother and Lucy on his right.

The little guy was seated in a chair with his legs dangling in mid-air, and a set of tableware identical to everyone else's was placed in front of him.

She was so nervous she could barely move, but Diana kept whispering beside her, "It's okay, Lucy, eat whatever you want."

Prince Philip sat next to the head of the table, holding a wine glass, and continued to discuss the problem of the crooked Christmas tree with Charles.

Princess Anne and Edward were arguing about a politician's policy, their voices growing louder, when Elizabeth interrupted them with a soft cough.

As dinner was drawing to a close, Elizabeth gently tapped her glass.

Everyone quieted down and looked at her.

"This year," she said, her gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present, "I want to say something special."

She paused for a moment, looked at Henry, and her eyes held a smile that only the two of them could understand.

Thank you all, especially for those thoughtful gifts.

A good-natured laugh rang out in the living room.

Philip raised his glass: "To the Queen!"

"To the Queen!" Everyone raised their glasses.

December 25th, Christmas Day.

At 6:30 a.m., the kitchen at Sandringham House was already bustling with activity.

Wearing a hastily made apron, Lucy stood in front of a kitchen counter that was taller than herself. In front of her was a row of ingredients specially supplied by the Hogwarts kitchen: butter, flour, icing sugar, cinnamon powder, and a small jar of magical yeast that she had bought in Diagon Alley.

She dared not neglect Prince Philip's request.

The other chefs in the kitchen watched the little creature bustling around with curiosity. They had heard of house-elves, but had never seen a live one.

This little girl with big eyes and big ears moves as fast as the wind. She kneads the dough in her hands in no time, puts it in the oven, and then just snaps her fingers, skipping the whole process.

"Are you...are you sure you don't need help?" a young kitchen helper asked cautiously.

Lucy looked up and shook her head seriously: "No, thank you, Lucy can do it."

Twenty minutes later, the first batch of Hogwarts-style butter cookies was ready.

The golden cookies are sprinkled with fine icing, and each one is imprinted with a different pattern.

Some had a flying broom, some had an owl, and some had a Sorting Hat.

The patterns were still moving, the broom was flying, the owl was blinking, and the Sorting Hat was opening its mouth, as if singing its own rambling song.

The kitchen helpers gathered around, exclaiming in amazement.

Lucy's tea towel was crumpled at the corner, but she looked clearly happy.

At 8:00 a.m. sharp, members of the royal family began to appear at the restaurant.

Breakfast is a buffet, with a long table laden with all sorts of food—fried eggs, bacon, sausages, roasted tomatoes, mushrooms, baked beans, and a large plate of fresh fruit.

But the most eye-catching item was the plate of Hogwarts-style butter cookies.

William was the first to rush over, picked up a cookie with a flying broomstick pattern, and took a bite.

"Mmm!" His eyes lit up. "Delicious!"

Harry grabbed a piece, and seeing it blinking, he jumped up excitedly, shouting, "It's looking at me! It's looking at me!"

Prince Philip walked over with a cup of coffee, glanced at the plate of cookies, and then at Lucy standing in the corner.

"Did you do this?"

Lucy nodded nervously.

Philip picked up a piece with the Sorting Hat design and took a bite. He chewed it, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he were carefully appreciating it.

Lucy's heart was in her throat.

Philip swallowed and took another sip of coffee.

"It's alright," he said.

Lucy paused for a moment.

Then, Philip picked up the second one.

"It's better than I expected."

Lucy was overjoyed to receive such affirmation.

At 10:30 a.m., members of the royal family began preparations for Christmas service.

This is one of the most important public events of the year at Christmas, where the whole family walks together to St. Mary Magdalene's Church at Sandringham House for Christmas Day worship.

People and media reporters had gathered early outside the manor gates, waiting to catch a glimpse of the Queen and her family.

Elizabeth wore a bright powder blue coat today, paired with a matching hat and gloves. It was a color she had discussed with her stylist two months in advance—"I wanted to make sure the people patiently waiting outside could easily see me."

Charles and Diana followed closely behind, Charles in a dark coat and Diana in an elegant dark blue suit. William and Harry, led by their nanny, wore matching sailor-collar coats, their faces flushed red from the cold wind, but they still waved to the crowd with great effort.

Henry walked slightly behind his grandmother, wearing a dark gray coat, a Christmas gift from her last year, which perfectly matched his status today.

Cheers erupted from the crowd.

"Your Majesty! Merry Christmas!"

"Your Highness Diana! Look this way!"

"Henry! William! Harry!"

The children waved excitedly, while the adults frantically pressed the shutter button with their cameras.

Elizabeth walked calmly, occasionally nodding to the crowd.

Diana smiled and waved, a smile so warm that one could forget she was a princess.

William and Harry were taken aback by the scene, but they quickly followed suit and waved like adults, eliciting good-natured laughter from the crowd.

Henry walked among them without any sense of stage fright.

He's a seasoned veteran, he's seen it all, after all, which European country hasn't he been to?